


magnets

by memitims



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25682800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memitims/pseuds/memitims
Summary: sometimes, tobio feels like hinata is a magnet and he’s powerless against the pull.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 40
Kudos: 242





	1. at my side

**Author's Note:**

> thinking this will be about ~6 loosely connected chapters. timeline is up to interpretation haha. kudos and comments always appreciated!

It only takes Tobio a couple of weeks before he realizes what’s happening. They’re huddling up after a particularly good practice, all eyes on Daichi as he prepares to break down what they did well today. Tobio reaches down to put his arm around Hinata’s shoulders, quickly realizing that his arm was, in fact, wrapped around Asahi’s broad upper back instead of Hinata’s small shoulders. _Weird_ , he thinks, he had expected Hinata to be there, in his regular spot below Tobio's left shoulder, and was that weird to expect him to be there? 

He thinks about it for a second, running things back through his head, and maybe they do always stand next to each other in huddles, while they are getting water, when they walk outside to do sprints on the hill next to the school. Just a few weeks before they were yelling at each other outside the gym doors, as far apart as could be, and now Hinata has made a space two inches to the left of Tobio, their shoulders always close to brushing. Or maybe Tobio was always the one moving to be at Hinata’s side. He isn’t sure and he starts to feel self-conscious. 

Would anyone have noticed? Would they think it’s weird? He thinks Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are always standing next to each other, but they’re _friends_. Are he and Hinata friends? Another question he can’t answer, but not one he would ask Hinata in a million years. Either answer to that question would scare him, he thinks. 

“—Right, Kageyama?” Daichi is looking straight at him, and Tobio realizes he hasn’t listened to a single word anyone has said since he joined the huddle. He mumbles his assent and he hears Hinata’s unmistakable giggle somewhere to his left. Tobio turns on him and glares, giving Hinata his best _I’m going to kill you as soon as we step outside this gym_ look and Hinata seems to turn a shade paler. 

He doesn’t kill Hinata when they get outside, after cleaning up all the balls and taking down the net, but he does tug on his hair and warns him not to laugh at Tobio again. 

“It’s so easy though,” Hinata says, backing away slowly, his eyes trained sharply on Tobio's hands. “You look so serious when you’re trying to think and you weren’t even thinking about what Daichi was saying, which is even funnier.” He takes a breath and keeps going. “What were you thinking about, anyway?”

“None of your business,” Tobio growls, like he was going to tell Hinata that he was thinking about the way they always stand so close together, the way they always find each other when they’re not on the court. If he did, he thinks Hinata would say something about keeping tabs on him to find his weaknesses, or to not miss an opportunity to beat him at something, or maybe that it’s because they are the only first years besides Tsukishima and Yamaguchi and they have to stick together, and maybe that’s not a bad explanation actually. 

He had been considering making an effort not to always stand next to Hinata, in case someone noticed and thought it was weird, but this Hinata in his head had convinced him otherwise. Somewhere, deep down, he thinks maybe it’s weirder that he’s conjuring up imaginary conversations with Hinata, but he pushes the thought down. Another worry for another time. 

“Kageyamaaa,” Real Hinata says, drawing out the last syllable of his name in the way that instantly makes Tobio pay attention, shoving his shoulder into Tobio's side to bring him back down to Earth. Normally, Tobio would shove him back, but he lets it slide. “You are really spacey today.”

“‘m just tired,” he mumbles, still half lost in thought. 

“Too tired to toss for me at the park?” Hinata pouts, expectantly pressing a volleyball he swiped from the gym into Tobio's chest. He sighs. Hinata is getting harder and harder to say no to. 

“I guess not,” Tobio says, grabbing the ball and twirling it in his fingers, his favorite way to calm down and clear his head. “But only because you suck and I can’t keep having you suck all over the court.”

“I’m not going to suck,” Hinata says, brightly, like Tobio hadn’t just insulted him. He half hopes that Hinata catches the implication in his statement, that Tobio knows there will be a point when Hinata doesn’t wander around the court aimlessly, but it’s not like he knows how to say that. “I’m going to get so good that even you will be afraid of me!”

He sounds so sincere and Tobio kind of hates that he believes him. 

Hinata is upset. 

Tobio can tell because Hinata had joined him for a drink of water after their last scrimmage set and muttered, “I’m upset,” under his breath. Although, he could probably tell based on his number of missed receives and spikes, and the fact that he had been hit square in the face with a ball on one of Tanaka’s serves. 

He appreciates Hinata’s openness though. He has a hard time reading people, but Hinata wears his emotions on his sleeve, easy for Tobio to catalogue and file into the small part of his brain that keeps track of Hinata’s different faces and expressions. It’s to help him on the court, Tobio tells himself, to know when to send a ball Hinata’s way and when to hold off, but he’s been finding it handy more and more off the court as well. 

He just gets Hinata, on some level, in a way he’d never expected. It scares him a little. 

Coach calls them in for a huddle and Tobio throws one arm around Yamaguchi and the other around Hinata. He can tell that Hinata’s still upset, because he’s staring a hole into the scuffed gym floor and shuffling his feet slowly into the circle. Something in his chest hurts a little at seeing Hinata so upset, he kind of wants to fix it, and this is definitely a new feeling. 

He remembers a few weeks ago, when he was having an off day and Hinata knew it. They were in a huddle, just like this one, and Hinata had squeezed his arm around Tobio's lower back and given him one of his big, toothy grins. Tobio had been angry at first, he didn’t want Hinata’s pity, but he quickly realized that it was more reassurance than anything, like Suga’s hand on his arm or Tanaka yelling at him to “serve up a good one!” and something in him had softened. It had worked, somehow, because Hinata’s blinding smile made him forget why he was even upset in the first place. He wonders if Hinata had been feeling what he’s feeling now, the urge to fix and encourage. Tobio isn’t much of the encouraging type, but he wants to be now, even if just for a second. Maybe Hinata will let him borrow some of his power. 

He thinks about Hinata’s bright grin and nudges his shoulder, trying to get his attention. Hinata looks up at him and Tobio notices that his eyes are darker than usual. His eyebrows are furrowed. 

“What?” Hinata hisses through clenched teeth. Tobio shrugs, almost about to abort the mission, but something makes him stick it out. He doesn’t smile, exactly, but he lifts up the corner of his lip and prays that his eyes do the rest of the work. He hopes it doesn’t look too much like a smirk. Tobio moves his head downwards towards Hinata’s ear, stopping just before his lips touch the skin behind his ear. 

“You’ll...better tomorrow,” he finally gets out, as quietly as he can manage. Hinata’s body starts to shake under Tobio's arm and he realizes he’s laughing, desperately trying to hold it in. His eyes are crinkling at the corners and they’re much brighter than before. Tobio lets out a sign of relief. 

“Kageyama,” Hinata is laughing against his ear. “Were you trying to make me feel better?”

Tobio shrugs and quickly turns his face back into a scowl. “Let’s get food after practice,” is all he says in response, and Hinata is full-on smiling now. He feels a little proud that the smile is because of him. 


	2. at my shoulder

Tobio loves tournaments. He loves getting up early, his body wide-awake and pumping with adrenaline as he pulls on his sweats and packs up his bag. He loves the anticipation of victory and staring at the big poster of the bracket hung on the wall and the sound his shoes make on the way to the water fountain. He loves the smell of the gym. He loves _volleyball_. 

And, much to his surprise, he loves spending a whole day with Hinata. No school, no practice, just the thrill of competition and Hinata trailing alongside him. When they’re not playing, they’re watching and analyzing or goofing around with their water bottles until Daichi yells at them or arguing over who can spin a volleyball on their finger for longer. 

At Kitagawa Daiichi, Tobio never had anyone to spend time with during tournaments. He was with the whole team if they were supposed to be or off on his own when they weren’t, usually finding a quiet place to watch the games from above. There was no one he wanted to talk strategy with, no one to follow him to the bathroom, or help him pick something out from the gyms’ vending machines. Of course, Hinata flipped this all on its head. 

Now, Tobio finds that they spend most of their off-court time at tournaments together. He likes how excited Hinata gets over the smallest things, like another team’s uniforms or seeing the trophies displayed on the entrance table. Occasionally, Tobio still needs some time alone to think or prepare for the upcoming match or take care of his nails, but Hinata has gotten weirdly good at knowing when he needs that and he always finds Yamaguchi and convinces him to do who-knows-what. 

He’s not really sure who follows who around either, they just naturally gravitate together during tournaments. Today, they are in charge of watching everyone’s stuff, which Hinata forgets about almost immediately after being told by Daichi to stay put, because he tries to drag Tobio to look at the schedule in the lobby. 

“Did you not just hear what Daichi said?” Tobio asks, leaning against the wall and sliding down until he’s sitting on the floor, his legs spread out amongst his teammates’ bags and jackets and water bottles. 

“No,” Hinata admits. “I figured you were listening enough for the both of us.”

Tobio huffs, pretending to be annoyed. Hinata sits down next to him and Tobio can tell that he’s restless, probably nervous for the next game. He’s quiet for a few moments, so Tobio closes his eyes and starts to prepare himself by feeling the tip of each finger, wiggling them around a little and stretching them out. He feels Hinata swat at his hands and slowly opens one eye. 

“What are you doing.” It’s not really a question. 

Hinata’s eyes are shiny and Tobio recognizes the teasing look in them. “You look so weird when you do that,” Hinata says. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Shut up.” Tobio mumbles, clenching his hands together. “It’s important to get my fingers ready.” _Or you’re gonna have nothing to do_ , he thinks. “Also, when have you ever been worried about being embarrassing?”

It’s another thing he likes about Hinata. He’s straightforward with his emotions and he’s not afraid to say what he thinks. He’s loud and bold, sometimes in a way that sets Tobio's nerves on edge and makes his heart tumble around in his chest, but mostly he just likes the way Hinata says what he means, that he’s goofy and embarrassing and unafraid. Tobio's gotten good at hiding the way that makes him smile. 

“I’m worried _for_ you,” Hinata says. He’s still touching Tobio's hands. 

“Thank you,” Tobio says, a little sarcastically, but with less bite than normal. Something about Hinata’s hands so close to his makes him a little calmer. Tobio looks down at his palms and Hinata pulls his hands away quickly, as if he hadn’t realized they were still touching. 

He feels a little disappointed. 

Hinata leans back into the wall, mirroring Tobio's position. He crosses his legs together. They sit in silence for a few minutes, watching other players walk down the hallway, some of them smiling excitedly and others staring down at their feet. Tobio closes his eyes again. They’re stressing him out. 

“Kageyama,” Hinata finally says, breaking the silence. “Do you think I’ll ever get taller?”

“No.” His response is quick. This is not the first time Hinata’s asked that question.

Hinata lightly shoves his shoulder into Tobio's side. “You’re rude,” he says, sticking out his tongue. “I’m gonna teach you how to not be so rude.”

Tobio scoffs. “I’m not rude.”

“You’re rude to me!” Hinata laughs. _He’s not really upset_ , Tobio thinks. _He’s just teasing_. He likes Hinata’s laugh. It’s helpful. _And it sounds nice_. 

“You’re dif—” Tobio swallows and stops short. “I’m rude to Tsukishima, too,” he finishes, hoping Hinata didn’t catch too much of his initial thought. 

Hinata’s beaming smile says otherwise. _Goddamnit_. He always has these stupid tricks up his sleeve, forcing Tobio to say stupid things before he’s barely even thought them to himself.

Hinata goes silent, like he’s thinking. “I like spending time with you at tournaments,” he says, quieter than before. It catches Tobio off guard. He’d been thinking the same thing, just this morning. 

He stammers for a moment, before Hinata saves him. “What about you, Kageyama? Do you like spending time with _me_ at tournaments?” He’s smiling again, his big brown eyes looking expectantly up at Tobio. 

“Don’t be stupid,” Tobio says, the best kind of ‘ _Yes’_ he can manage. Hinata seems to understand because his smile gets even bigger. He looks a little smug, a little victorious. 

“You’re dumb,” Hinata says in response. Tobio's breath catches in his throat. He’s not sure how an insult can make him smile, but he has to hide one nevertheless. 

Even when the tournament is over, Hinata’s still at his side. He follows him onto the bus and they sit together towards the back, like usual. There’s plenty of empty seats, but for some reason they always sit next to each other. Tobio thinks the first time it was because they had been talking excitedly about the Seijoh practice match and didn’t want to stop, and it just became a habit after that. He likes sitting next to Hinata, so he never says anything about it and never tries to sit alone.

There’s not much talking today though. It was a long day and they are both worn out. Tobio takes his seat on the aisle, because Hinata likes staring out the window and tapping on the glass excitedly when he sees something interesting. 

_Cows, Kageyama. Look, cows!_

Tobio passes out almost immediately after the bus turns onto the highway. He thinks the last thing he hears is Hinata pointing out _A really cool car, Kageyama!_ and then he’s fast asleep. 

He wakes up with a start. The bus must have gone over a big bump, or something, and his eyes open for a moment before he quickly shuts them. _Bright_. _Ow_. 

It takes him a second to realize that he’s curled his body towards Hinata’s while he was asleep. He’s slumped down in the small bus seat and his head is resting on Hinata’s shoulder. The angle is a little uncomfortable and he can feel his neck getting stiff, but Hinata’s t-shirt is soft on his cheek. Tobio doesn’t want to move. He hopes Hinata hadn’t seen him open his eyes. 

He knows that Hinata will probably tease him for it afterwards, and he probably shouldn’t be sleeping on his ( _maybe?_ ) best friend’s shoulder, but he hasn’t slept this close to another person in a long time and he doesn’t want it to stop. He feels at peace. His limbs are sore from a long day of his favorite thing in the world and Hinata’s breath is blowing soft in his hair. _This is nice_ , he thinks, and he falls back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry, i just love the idea of them sleeping on each other on the bus haha


	3. parentheses

Tobio rolls out his sleeping bag on the futon on the ground, choosing one close to the corner of the room. Hinata follows him and spreads his out on the futon next to Tobio's. He always finds the spot next to Tobio, which he doesn’t really mind, even though Hinata moves around like a tornado in his sleep and keeps him up by whispering excitedly about the day’s practice matches. 

Hinata plops down on his sleeping bag but doesn’t get inside. “I’m not tired,” he whines. 

Tobio scoffs, but if he’s honest with himself, he feels the exact same way. They’d played a ton of sets today, but the punishment for losing had been core work and ab exercises, which don’t tire him out as much as wind sprints or diving laps. He prods his stomach. _At least that will be sore tomorrow_. 

He scans the room. Daichi is nowhere to be seen and Suga isn’t looking their way. Plus, they’re close to the door. 

“Wanna run until we’re tired?” asks Tobio, and Hinata’s face lights up in response. Then, he’s halfway out the door before Tobio even realizes what’s happening. He checks the room one more time, then sprints after him, a soft “Hey!” dying on his lips. 

They race along the concrete path that winds around the gym, occasionally challenging each other to a sprint up the hill that rises beside the path. 

“That’s five for me,” Tobio says, through heavy breaths. He puts his hands on his head and opens his chest to get more air. His muscles are finally starting to feel tired and his eyes are finally starting to feel heavy. 

Hinata scowls at him. 

“Barely,” he huffs, copying Tobio's stance. He always has to remind Hinata to put his hands on his head — not his hips, or his knees — when he’s catching his breath. It’s something his grandfather drilled into him when he was little. 

_C’mon now, Tobio. Hands on your head. Open your chest to the world and you’ll recover faster._

He’s stopped needing words to remind Hinata, though. Now, he brushes his fingers quickly over Hinata’s hand where it’s clenched on his hip and gestures upwards. The first time he did it, Hinata gave him an odd look, but he didn’t protest. Tobio likes that he’s gotten better at these simple touches. It’s nothing he could have done with his teammates at Kitagawa Daiichi, but Karasuno — and Hinata — completely changed how what being on a team means to him.

He’s not sure when his swipes at Hinata’s head or his scolding hand in Hinata’s hair turned into a fond hand in his hair or a gentle press to his back to guide him into position, and sometimes he feels like he barely recognizes himself. He hopes that’s just part of being a teenager.

He’s even been known to put a hand on Tanaka’s shoulder, an easier way to say _good job_ than actually saying it out loud or give Asahi a firm high-five. It’s still hard for him to figure out exactly when to do that kind of stuff with everyone else, but with Hinata, the timing doesn't seem to matter. Everything just feels natural. 

“Kageyama.” Hinata breaks his train of thought. “Race you to the bottom?”

Tobio sprints after him and loses, just barely. 

“I’m tired,” he says, once they get to the bottom. Hinata nods in agreement. 

They start back towards the school and Tobio sneaks a glance over at him. His hair is messy — messier than usual, at least — from all the running and the bright moon above lights up his face. He watches the curve of Hinata’s nose, the soft smile playing on his lips, the roundness of his cheeks. He looks until Hinata catches him staring, and then he turns away and asks him a question about Fukurōdani’s blockers. He sneaks one more look back at Hinata’s smile as he starts to talk excitedly about his observations and what he’s going to do differently tomorrow. Tobio grunts in agreement. 

They sneak back into the school easily. No one, at least no one that would get them in trouble, is still awake, and they slide as silently as they can into their sleeping bags. Tobio lays on his back and stretches out his legs all the way until his toes touch the end of the sleeping bag. He wonders if Tsukishima fits in his. The thought of him having to curl up to fit inside brings Tobio a little bit of joy. He asks Hinata his opinion, whispering through the darkness, and Hinata just laughs, a little too loudly. Tobio shushes him. 

“You’re kinda funny, Kageyama,” Hinata whispers, and Tobio feels his face go a little warm. He shushes Hinata again. 

It’s quiet for a few moments, so Tobio closes his eyes and sinks into the futon beneath him, slowing down his breathing and letting the warmth drain from his face. Hinata rustles in his sleeping bag beside him and Tobio can’t help but open his eyes to see what he’s doing. Hinata turns towards him and Tobio can’t see much in the dark except for the shine in his eyes reflecting the light from outside that’s streaming in through the windows, and Hinata is looking straight at him. 

“Thanks,” he says, slowly, like he’s gathering his thoughts. “For helping me. Y’know. Get all my energy out.”

Tobio looks away. He feels that stupid warmth again in his cheeks. 

“Yeah,” he manages to get out. “Of course.”

He looks back and Hinata is grinning over at him. “Night, Kageyama,” he says. Tobio nods in response and closes his eyes. He quickly drifts off to sleep. 

Tobio wakes up sometime in the early morning. Orange light is streaming in through the windows, landing directly on his face. He is curled up on his side, his hip bone driving into the thin futon, and as he blinks himself into consciousness, he realizes that his feet feel unusually warm. 

Sometime in the night, Hinata had curled towards him and Tobio must have mirrored him, their bodies sloping together like a set of parentheses. Hinata’s feet have made their way on top of Tobio's sleeping bag and as Tobio continues to wake up he realizes that Hinata’s hair is practically in his mouth. They’re not really touching, except for where their feet are criss-crossed, but they’re close. He can feel Hinata’s unbelievably warm body heat seeping through his sleeping bag. 

_I wish you were closer_. 

Tobio thinks about reaching an arm out and drawing Hinata fully into his body, but he’s scared, and he feels like that wouldn’t be fair to Hinata. He almost wants to wake him up and ask if he can, but he knows that’s stupid and not something you should be waking up your best friend in the middle of the night to ask about. 

Instead, he closes his eyes again and wills himself to sleep. The last thing Tobio feels before drifting off again is the warmth of Hinata’s body and the loud beating of his own, stupid heart.


	4. the park

“Do you like playing middle blocker?”

They’re playing in the park near Tobio’s house, their usual spot to come and pass the ball around when they still have energy after practice or when there’s no practice to be had. It’s a small, usually empty park, and they can play late into the night without anyone bothering them. The patch of grass that’s perfect for practicing on is well-lit, too. The lights bathe the grass in quiet yellow light and it always feels springy and comfortable under his feet. Tobio’s played in the park since he was a boy, but it feels different now that it’s someplace he shares with Hinata. Unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. 

“Yeah!” Hinata says, receiving the ball into his chest. Tobio can’t see them, but he pictures Hinata’s eyes lighting up at the question. He seems to like when Tobio asks him questions. Especially when they’re about volleyball. He doesn’t seem to like ones about the math homework quite as much. 

“I love it,” Hinata continues. “Everyone’s always so surprised.” He hits the ball back towards Tobio. “I don’t like subbing out all the time though. But it does mean Noya gets to go in! So maybe it’s not _that_ bad.”

Tobio chuckles a little to himself, low enough so he knows Hinata can’t hear. He always has so much to say and Tobio likes to listen to all of it, even if he pretends not to half the time. 

“Middle blocker is an important position,” Tobio says. He had even considered playing it himself once, with his early growth spurt and quick reflexes, but finding out that the setter touched the ball most often had killed that idea. “Not as impor—”

“—portant as setter, of course,” Hinata finishes for him, lowering his voice considerably. Tobio looks up at him and he’s got his hands in his hair, pulling at his bangs to imitate Tobio’s. “I’m so important, grr,” he practically growls. Tobio’s pretty sure he doesn’t actually sound that angry. Well, at least he hopes he doesn’t. “I control everything, blah blah blah.”

Tobio chucks the ball at him. 

“That wasn’t even funny the first time.”

Hinata giggles. “It’s always funny! Tanaka told me so.”

Tobio puts his hand under his chin, pretending to think. “Well, it sounds to me like Asahi and Daichi will be the only ones getting the ball next weekend. Maybe even Tsukishima will get a good spike in.”

Hinata pouts at him. “No fair! I need the practice, Kageyama.”

“Oi,” Tobio says. “Practice receives with me now then.”

Hinata obliges and they make it through another hour before they’re both sleepy and swaying a little on their feet. He trudges up the small hill next to the field towards their stuff and throws himself down on the grass once he gets a drink of water. Tobio follows him and lays down too. He turns on his side, propping his head on his elbow, and watches Hinata stare up at the dark sky. It’s cloudy tonight and most of the stars are missing. Hinata seems engrossed in them anyway. 

They kissed once, a few months ago, lying in practically this same exact position, and Tobio still isn’t quite sure what to make of it. It had been quick, but it left Tobio breathless. Hinata had stared at him defiantly, curiously, and closed the space between them by quickly pressing his dry lips to Tobio’s and then he’d leaned back and laughed and asked Tobio what time it was. 

“N-nine,” Tobio remembers stammering out. 

They’d never talked about it since. 

Tobio thinks about the kiss sometimes, in the middle of the day, in class — when he’s feeling brave and he can still hear Hinata’s voice telling him to _hurry up or you’re gonna be late_ — but more often than not he thinks about it at night, lying in his bed and wondering what Hinata had meant by it. 

Sometimes, he pictures the moment late at night before he drifts off to sleep — Hinata’s eyes, dark and shiny in the moonlight, the sound of his laugh ringing nervous and true through Tobio’s head, the soft press of his lips, the warm feeling spreading through his cheeks, and the glow of the stars resting over both of their heads — and sometimes he thinks about _more_. 

He thinks about what he would do if they ever kiss again. He thinks he would move his lips more, catch the back of Hinata’s head and hold him in place, thread his fingers through his messy hair. Maybe use his tongue. That was harder to imagine though, but he thinks about the way kissing looks in movies and it seems pretty easy. He imagines he could probably figure it out. 

Tobio almost feels like Hinata beat him at something, but he’s not sure what, not sure exactly what the game is, but the fact that he can’t get Hinata out of his mind makes him think that whatever it is, Hinata’s definitely winning. But, if he kisses Hinata the way he imagines in his head, maybe Tobio would take over the lead. 

He thinks it would probably feel pretty good, too. 

Tobio wants to do it now, on this ordinary Sunday night under a starless sky, in the park he learned to play volleyball in. He hesitates though, he goes back and forth in his mind and watches the sharp line of Hinata’s nose instead. He wishes he knew why Hinata had done it in the first place. 

_You could ask,_ he thinks, and he entertains that for a fraction of a second before pushing the thought away. Being the first one to talk about it seems like a different way of losing. 

One kiss could be written off. But two? Probably not. And definitely not if it happened the way Tobio wanted it to. 

Hinata tears his eyes away from the sky and rolls over on his side, mirroring Tobio’s position. He watches the way his hair falls into his face and he sees small bags beginning to form under Hinata’s eyes. He wonders if he gets enough sleep these days. Hinata is quiet, his eyes trained on Tobio’s face, like Tobio himself is a dark expanse of cloudy sky to be stared at. It’s a little overwhelming and he feels his heart skip a beat. It skips two when Hinata moves his eyes downwards to glance at Tobio’s lips. 

He thinks he could do it, thinks he could cross the foot of grass that separates them and grab Hinata’s head in his hands, especially with Hinata looking at him like _that_. 

Sometimes, he feels like Hinata is a magnet and he’s powerless against the pull.

Tobio’s so close to saying _fuck it_ and then Hinata’s phone is buzzing in his drawstring bag and he’s jolting upright and the spell is broken. 

He sighs and listens to Hinata promise his mom that he’ll be home in twenty minutes and wonders if he’ll ever be brave enough to close the gap between them. 


	5. the mountains

Tobio’s having a weird day. A bad day, probably. He fails his English test in the morning and he’s still steaming about it by the time practice rolls around. The ball doesn’t sit right on his fingertips and he’s not on the same page as anyone. He apologizes to Coach Ukai during one of their water breaks, but he just claps Tobio on the back and tells him not to worry about it. 

It’s not that Tobio minds having off days, exactly. They remind him that he can’t be complacent, that his roots have so much farther to grow into the dirt, that he can’t stop moving forward even when it feels like he’s at the top of his game. He watches Suga toss a ball to Hinata, who slams it down across the court, and he remembers why he can’t stop. 

Days like this mostly just get him excited for the next time he steps onto the court. But in the moment, they still frustrate him. He curls his fingers around the water bottle in his grasp and slams it down on the bench in front of him, willing himself to focus. _I’ll be the one who stands on the court the longest._ The bottle makes a satisfying smack against the wood and he turns back to face the gym, ready to go again. 

The day gets even weirder when he follows Hinata out of the gym to the rack his bicycle is tied up on. Hinata whirls around when they reach it and pulls Tobio into a brief, fleeting hug, pressing his face into Tobio’s chest. It feels like the kiss in the park, it leaves him feeling stunned, his cheeks warm, and his stupid head begging for more. 

“Wh—what was that for?” Tobio stammers out. Hinata turns back around and unlocks his bicycle from the rack. 

“No reason,” Hinata says, smiling sweetly up at him. “Also, I heard you failed your English test. Do you want to study this weekend? I didn’t do very well on my last one and I think my class has a test next Wednesday. At least Yachi said I did, because she heard it from her friend that’s also in my class. I don’t know if I believe her, because Yachi’s friend might pay less attention in class than I do. I’m having trouble telling the difference between–”

“Yes,” Tobio replies, cutting him off. 

Hinata smiles at him again and Tobio wishes his heart didn’t speed up so much at the sight. He can still feel the weight of Hinata’s arms around his back. “Okay! I’ll text you about it later.” 

Tobio listens to him continue on about his English class and his day at school and all the advice Suga had given him while they were practicing together. He listens especially close to the last part. Suga always gives good advice and sometimes Tobio wishes he could be like that. His thoughts usually just get all jumbled before he can get them out. It helps though, that Hinata always seems to understand. 

They part ways near the mountains and Hinata makes him promise three times to text him back about studying for English. Tobio almost feels a little disappointed when Hinata doesn’t reach for another hug. 

Tobio takes a shower. He makes dinner for himself. He cleans the dishes. He tries to watch television, but he’s still feeling weird and can’t focus on what they’re saying. He grabs his running shoes from their place by the front door and slips them onto his feet. Running always clears his head and makes him feel at ease. He loves the burn in his chest and the way his feet fall across the pavement, hard and rhythmic, drowning every thought out of his mind. He wonders if Hinata feels the same way about biking.

He’s thinking about Hinata as he bounds down the steps from his house, he’s thinking about him when he runs past the garden filled with sunflowers on the next street over from his house, he’s thinking about him when he comes across the dark, looming shapes of the mountain range Hinata crosses every day. _So much for clearing my head_. 

It’s really no surprise when he finally comes off autopilot, his legs starting to feel heavy, and realizes he’s made it all the way to the street Hinata lives on. He didn’t mean to come this far, and he didn’t mean to cross the mountains, but something had pulled him this way. His internal compass must have been stuck on Hinata as much as his head was. He slows to a walk and heads west on the street, towards Hinata’s house.

Tobio checks his watch. He’s been here plenty of times, but almost never without Hinata biking along next to him, and certainly never unannounced.

 _8 p.m. On a Friday. It’s not too late to be rude_ , Tobio thinks. 

He walks up to Hinata’s door and knocks. 

Hinata’s mother answers the door.

“Tobio!” she says, pulling him into the house by his arm before he can even explain himself, and then she’s yelling Hinata’s name up the stairs.

Tobio can hear the way he bounces down the steps, skipping every other one even though he's told him a million times how dangerous that is and what could happen if he slipped. 

“Kageyama?” Hinata asks, confused, when he sees Tobio standing in the front hall. Tobio rubs his hand on the back of his neck sheepishly. He watches Hinata’s mother turn around and slip back into the house. 

“I was just—” Tobio starts, not exactly sure how to explain himself. “—running. And. I was in the neighborhood.”

“Okay!” Hinata says, excitedly. “Did you come to study? Do you want to watch a movie?”

“I don’t really have my study stuff,” Tobio admits. “I would watch a movie.”

Hinata laughs. “It is Friday night after all. No one is supposed to study on Friday nights.”

Tobio nods in agreement. “Could I take a shower? Before we watch the movie, I mean.”

“Sure!” Hinata says. “You do look pretty sweaty. I think I might even have some of your clothes that my mom washed from the last time you came over after practice.” 

“Okay.” Tobio follows him up the stairs and watches as Hinata digs out the shorts and t-shirt from the top drawer of his dresser. He tries not to think too hard about that — his clothes, mixed up in Hinata’s. He hopes, for the sake of his sanity, that they don’t smell too much like him.

He showers and pulls on his clean clothes, leaving his dirty ones in the basket Hinata pointed out to him. He finds Hinata on the couch downstairs, scrolling through Netflix on the television. 

“You’re clean,” Hinata says, patting the cushion next to him. Like Tobio was going to sit anywhere else. 

“Cleaner than you,” Tobio says, knocking his shoulder into Hinata’s once he sits down. Hinata giggles and shoves him back. They jostle with each for a few moments before Hinata’s attention goes back to the television. He finally picks a movie, he knows Tobio usually doesn’t have an opinion and will watch whatever he chooses. Tobio’s happy to not have to make a decision. 

The movie’s alright, even though he almost falls asleep towards the middle, but Hinata’s constant chattering keeps him awake. Tobio thinks he focused more on the sound of Hinata’s voice than the dialogue of the movie. When it finally finishes, Hinata mentions how late it is and tells him to stay over. 

“Erm,” Tobio thinks for a second. “Alright.”

He trails behind Hinata as he rushes up to his bedroom. Hinata pokes his head into his mother’s bedroom to tell her that Tobio’s staying the night, while he waits patiently behind him. Hinata walks past the closet that he usually pulls the futon for Tobio out of, so Tobio stops him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hinata,” he says. “What about—” He gestures towards the closet. 

Hinata looks down and he seems smaller, shyer than usual. Tobio thinks he knows where this is going. 

“I was thinking—” He stops, stumbling over the words. He usually speaks with so much confidence, so much defiance, and Tobio chuckles a little at this version of Hinata. He likes that his back is against the wall, for once. Hinata takes a breath and tries again. “I was thinking you could sleep in my bed?”

He might have sounded uncharacteristically shy asking it, but what he asked was much bolder than anything Tobio thinks he could have said out loud. 

Tobio nods. It sounds nice, actually. He feels a little shaky, he thinks of bright eyes staring at him in the park and he wonders if Hinata wants to kiss him again. He doesn’t get nervous for volleyball games anymore, but apparently, he does get nervous at the thought of sleeping in Hinata Shouyou’s bed. 

Hinata lets out the breath he was holding and suddenly returns to normal, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. “Race you there then!”

Tobio loses, but mostly because of Hinata’s massive head start and the fact that his knees feel a little weak. Probably from his run, but the sight of Hinata burrowing under his covers doesn’t help either. 

He cautiously pulls back the covers and slides in next to him. Hinata’s wriggling around and laughing. Tobio shushes him. He pulls the covers up around his body and curls onto his side, facing away from Hinata. He feels sleep drifting toward him as he sinks into the pillow, the exhaustion from his run outweighing the quick beating of his heart to the tune of Hinata’s soft laughter.

“Kageyama?”

Tobio grunts but makes no move to turn around. He’s tired, and a little afraid of what he might do with Hinata’s face a few inches from his.

Hinata answers by scooting closer and throwing his arms over Tobio, pulling him into his body. _He’s so warm_. Tobio stiffens for a second, then relaxes. It feels like the hug from earlier, but more permanent. He smells Hinata’s shampoo on the pillow and feels his small hands pressed up against his chest. It’s nice, he thinks, to be surrounded by Hinata. He falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

 _This really was a weird day. Weird, but not bad._


	6. sunlight

Tobio blinks himself awake, slightly disoriented by the bedspread and the arm over his chest, until he remembers that he’s in Hinata’s bed. With Hinata’s arm slung over him, his hand curling against Tobio’s shoulder. It’s bright in Hinata’s room, always bright, because he sleeps with the curtains open and doesn’t wake up when the first rays of sunshine hit his face, like Tobio does. 

He shifts slightly and realizes their legs are tangled together, almost like that time at training camp but with no sleeping bags in between them. Tobio tries not to move too much. He reaches for Hinata’s hand, the one on his shoulder, and lifts it up carefully, very nearly intertwining their fingers. He sets Hinata’s arm down gently on the bed. 

Once he’s free, Tobio sits up and stares out the window, wondering how he got himself in this predicament. He thinks about leaving, about gathering his things and slipping out the door, about running all the way home so he doesn’t have to think about how much he likes waking up with Hinata in the morning. 

He doesn’t leave.

He knows he couldn’t handle the look of disappointment on Hinata’s face the next time they saw each other, if he just slipped out like that. 

Tobio stares and stares at the mountains rising up out of the horizon of Hinata’s window frame. They look pink in the morning light. His mind whirls through the same few thoughts. 

After some time, Hinata begins to stir next to him, breaking Tobio out of his imagination. He turns away from the mountains to look at the boy lying next to him. Hinata yawns and rubs at his eyes before opening them, brushing his messy hair out of his face. Tobio’s heart stutters in his chest. 

The sunlight catches the bottom strands of Hinata’s hair, turning it almost golden. Tobio wants to reach out and touch it, to see if it looks just as shiny in between his fingers. 

“Good morning,” Hinata says sleepily, looking up at Tobio.

“You move a lot in your sleep,” Tobio says back, unable to think of anything else to say. 

“Oh,” Hinata responds. “Did it bother you?”

“No.”

Hinata beams at him. They argue half-heartedly for a few minutes, about who moves more in their sleep and the brightness of Hinata’s room and who takes up more space on the bed.

“I might be taller, but you spread out like a starfish,” Tobio tells him. 

Hinata doesn’t argue back. He’s quiet for a moment. 

“Do you ever want to live somewhere else?” He finally asks, looking up at Tobio.

He’s still lying down, and his hair is splayed out across his pillow, the bright orange a stark contrast against the pillowcase. It doesn’t look golden anymore.

Tobio stares at him. He’s not sure where the question is coming from. “Like...not-Miyagi somewhere else? Or not-Japan somewhere else?”

“Not Japan.”

Tobio thinks for a moment.

“Yeah, I want to play the best volleyball in the world. Japan’s league is good, but it’s not the best. So yeah, I probably want to live somewhere else. At some point.”

Hinata nods. “Well, you certainly can’t go anywhere they speak English.”

Tobio crosses his arms, turning a glare on Hinata. “You can’t either, stupid.”

“I’m much better at English than you,” Hinata says. 

Tobio can’t exactly argue with that one.

He wants to ask why Hinata asked the question, but he’s not sure he wants to know the answer.

It’s his turn to be quiet, now. He looks back out at the mountains. The early-morning pink light has faded to a deep orange and Tobio can make out individual trees on the slopes now.

“I thought about quitting once, you know,” Tobio says, his voice a little hoarse.

He doesn’t know why he tells Hinata this, but it feels good to get off his chest. He guesses they are both saying things that are on their minds, this morning. Maybe it’s the light, it feels almost unreal, like this is a dream and he can say anything he wants to. He turns his gaze away from the window and back to Hinata’s face. 

“Really?” Hinata looks shocked. Tobio isn’t sure Hinata even knows how to quit something, how to give up. 

“After—” Tobio stops, then continues, slowly, choosing his words very carefully. “In my last year of middle school.”

“Before you played me!” Hinata says. He still seems to be a little in disbelief. “Before you almost lost to me, I mean,” he continues, teasing. 

Tobio lets out a little surprised laugh. “Sure,” he says. “ _Almost_.”

He goes quiet again, gathering his thoughts. “I thought maybe I should try something else. Like soccer or something. My team wasn’t very fun.” That was an understatement. 

Hinata nods, calmly, but he looks a little like a deer caught in the headlights. Tobio wonders what he’s thinking.

“If you played soccer,” Hinata says, slowly, “Then I wouldn’t have my own ultimate, bitter rival.”

 _Ah_ , Tobio thinks. _That’s why he looked like that._

“I don’t think ultimate, bitter rivals usually sleep in the same bed.”

Hinata pretends to think about it. “Maybe they can.”

Tobio slides down a little in the bed, propping his elbow up on the pillow. Hinata mirrors him and they stare at each other. Tobio feels like he’s barely breathing. Hinata’s eyes look like pools of the orange sunlight coming in from outside the window. 

“Do you think—” He’s desperately fighting the urge to close the space between them. Looking away from Hinata’s eyes helps. He swallows. “Do you think there’s a world out there where I’m kicking your ass in soccer?”

Hinata buries his face in his pillow, muffling a laugh. The sound still sounds like the best thing in the world to Tobio. 

“I don’t know about _that_ ,” Hinata says, talking into the pillow. “I think I’d make a better soccer player than you.”

“Oi,” Tobio says. “Let’s try it out then, after practice sometime.”

Hinata nods in agreement. Their conversation is interrupted by Hinata’s mother calling up at them about breakfast. Tobio’s stomach growls and Hinata laughs and pushes him out of the bed and they jostle with each other all the way down the stairs. 

When they finish breakfast, Tobio thanks Hinata’s mother and tells them that he should get home. He promises Hinata that they will meet up tomorrow to _actually_ study for English class. Hinata helps him gather his running clothes and walks him to the door. He follows Tobio outside onto the stoop, leaving the door wide open behind him. 

Tobio looks at him standing there, his hair still sleep-messy and a small, warm smile on his lips, and something within Tobio breaks and pulls him towards Hinata. He reaches forward and grabs him by the shoulders, takes a deep breath, and kisses him right on the mouth.

He hears Hinata gasp and he must be smiling because their teeth clack together for a brief moment, and it’s not exactly how Tobio thought their second kiss would go, but it feels just as nice as he imagined. Hinata’s mouth is warm and the kiss is a little messy and the sun beats down on the back of his neck and Tobio wonders if he’s ever been this happy. 

He pulls apart, to breathe. 

“That was for the park, dumbass,” Tobio says, a little breathless. He knows he’s staring a little too hard at Hinata’s lips. He drags his eyes upwards.

Hinata’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “You’re a little late,” he teases. 

Tobio leans in to kiss him again. “I took my time.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading this!! i'm really proud of myself for sticking with this and finishing all six chapters like a planned and i really hope you enjoyed it :)

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on [ tumblr](https://memitims.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/memitims). i need more haikyuu ppl to follow so come say hi!


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